The prospects of an X-ray free electron laser using stimulated resonance transition radiation

This paper considers stimulated X-ray emission from a relativistic beam of electrons passing through a periodic, heterogeneous medium and interacting with a plane wave. Amplification of the wave occurs when there is bunching of the electrons due to this interaction. The gains for warm and cold electron beams are derived neglecting space charge and multiple scattering. High-current, ultrarelativistic electron beams appear to be the most likely to produce reasonable gain. An estimate of the multiple scattering for the examples cited show the net gain to be severely affected.     

Resonance transition radiation X-ray lasers

A free electron laser is proposed using a periodic dielectric and helical magnetic field. Periodic synchronism between the electrons and the optical wave is obtained at the period of the dielectric and not at the period of the helical magnetic field. The synchronism condition and the gain of the new device are derived. The effects on the gain of the new device are derived. The effects on the gain from dephasing and beam expansion due to elastic scattering of the electrons in the periodic medium are included in the gain calculation. Examples of the resonance transition radiation laser and klystron are given. Operation at photon energies between 2.5 and 3.5 keV with net gain up to 12% is feasible using high electron-beam energies of 3 and 5 GeV. Moderate (300-MeV) beam energy allows operation between 80 to 110 eV with up to 57% net gain using a klystron design. In both cases, rapid foil heating may limit operation to a single electron-beam pulse     

An X-ray free-electron laser loaded with a periodic dielectric

When a periodic medium is inserted along the axis of a free-electron laser (FEL), the synchronism condition between the electron beam and the electromagnetic wave is changed. This alteration permits a wider parameter selection than the conventional FEL, and provides for the possibility of X-ray operation. The device is a hybridization of the FEL and the stimulated-transition-radiation laser. Photon absorption by the periodic medium and scattering of the electrons limit the interaction length, but calculated gains are still high enough for oscillation. The analysis shows that ultrarelativistic electron beams and low-density foil materials give the most physically realizable parameters. Higher order resonant transition modes (r>1) should be used to maximize gain     

An analysis of oblique angle stimulated Cherenkov radiation with some experimental results

This paper considers the possible amplification in a dielectric medium of a plane wave intersected by an electron beam at the Cherenkov angle. An oscillator is designed in which a Fabry-Perot resonator's axis is placed at this angle. The gain is found to be inversely proportional to the wavelength, suggesting the possibility of a vacuum ultraviolet or soft X-ray laser. The randomization of the phase coherence between the wave and the electrons due to multiple scattering of the electrons by the atoms of the dielectric is minimized by limiting the length of interaction, and increasing the electron beam energy. Early unpublished experiments are given in which quartz resonators were placed in the Mark III Linear Accelerator's electron beam at Stanford University. From this, other subsequent experimental work, and the theory derived here. two devices are considered which utilize gas as a dielectric instead of a solid.     

Construction of a Cerenkov light source

A radiation source has been developed and implemented from Cerenkov emission that is intended to provide an intense continuum from the infrared to 600 A. Parasitic use of the primary electron beam at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) together with a novel optical geometry for light collection can give a focused and tunable ultraviolet beam with 10(4) kW/m(2)sr brightness, 10(-2) spectral purity, and with the pulsed, 5 ps time structure of the SLAC electron beam. Measurements of emission characteristics in the visible part of the spectrum correlate closely with the predicted performance.     

Free-electron interactions with light using the inverse Cerenkov effect

An analysis and experimental verification of momentum modulation of relativistic electrons by laser light using the inverse Cerenkov effect is presented. As an alternative to the free-electron laser for achieving energy exchange between particles and photons, the inverse Cerenkov effect uses the index of refraction of a gaseous medium to retard the phase velocity of an electromagnetic wave, enabling the electrons to remain in a field of constant phase. The momentum modulation converts to charge-density modulation by allowing the electrons to drift, thus forming electron bunches separated by optical wavelengths. An analysis is presented for the maximum amount of energy exchange, the energy exchange distribution, and the optimum bunching distance. A computer simulation of the interaction process is also given. These results are compared with the observed momentum modulation of a 102 MeV electron beam by a 30 MW Nd:YAG 1.06 μm laser in both hydrogen and methane gases. Initial observation of coherent optical radiation from a 57 MeV electron beam using the same laser system is also presented. Laser-driven particle accelerators and optical klystrons are possible applications of this interaction.